Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Travellers' Club, 106 Pall Mall, London, was originally the concept of Viscount Castlereagh who spoke of establishing a club where men could meet socially with fellow travellers, visiting foreigners of distinction and diplomats. It has never been a political club like for example, the Carlton Club.
The club was founded by committee on 12 May 1819 and organisers included the Marquess of Lansdowne, the Earl of Aberdeen, Earl Beauchamp, Viscount Palmerston, Lord Auckland and Sir Archibald Macdonald and others. On 19 July the committee made the head of Ulysses the device of the club and on 18 August notices appeared in the major newspapers of the day to advertise its opening.
The original Travellers' Club was located at 12 Waterloo Place before moving to 49 Pall Mall in 1822. In 1829, Charles Barry was selected to design a new clubhouse at 106 Pall Mall. It was one of Barry's most acclaimed designs and was heavily influenced by his visits to Italy. The design is in the palace style of the Florentine republic and helped to establish Barry as the leading architect of the Renaissance Revival movement . The club moved into its new premises in 1832 and Barry became a member of the club himself in 1834.
In 1820, the first foreign travellers were invited to visit the club. Invitations were sent to Count Maurice Lewenhaupt, Count Rostopchin, Prince Liechtenstein, Prince Villa Franca, and Baron von Werden among others. One of the most famous regular visitors was Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, ambassador to the United Kingdom from France (1830-1834) and a handrail remains that was fixed to the staircase specifically to assist him.
Membership is restricted by election and to candidates who can demonstrate that they either resided or travelled abroad. It has counted among its members Prince George of Cambridge, the Duke of Wellington, 8th Duke of Devonshire, George Canning, Lord John Russell, 3rd Earl Grey, 2nd Earl Granville, Lord Raglan, Arthur Balfour, Stanley Baldwin, Sir Francis Beaufort, Robert FitzRoy, Colonel the Honourable George Anson, Sir Roderick Impey Murchison, and Sir Wilfred Thesiger among many others.
The focus of the club is travel and the majority of the library's publications are devoted to voyages and travel abroad. The club also provides a domestic setting for members and guests to socialise, dine, drink and smoke. The club also has 18 bedrooms for member and guest accommodation.